For The Kingdom! (2015. 7. 10 – 12)
After we finished all planned camps, we enjoyed a short but sweet break from the hectic schedules that kept us occupied. Today is a special day. We have special guests visiting us. In order to accept our guests, and to be good hosts, we cleaned our center and made sure our appearance was flawless.
Our guests were the leaders, in a type as town mayors and councilors for the sub region in Khayelitsha called “Thabo Mbeki” (pronounced as Tabo Umbecky). The reason for their visit was because they requested “Leadership Training” to be held and run by our center. This request has a significant importance to our ministry. Thabo Mbeki was a town where African Leadership first established children’s church service, but recently due to difficulty communicating with them there were a lot of hardship and restrictions. To have the leaders of the town, with recent history of restrictions, come to us to request for a leadership training program means more than what can be immediately seen. Not only is this the first request ever of its kind, but it has several different hidden significances.
The leaders have come to us for leadership training to work together in order to create a better environment and for the development of their town. In response to their request, we created a systematic program to advance different fields for leadership education and introduced Korean’s past movement called “New Community Movement” (Saemaul Undong) which was a political initiative launched in 1970 in order to modernize the rural South Korean economy. The idea was based on the Korean traditional communalism which provided the rules for self-governance and cooperation in traditional Korean communities. By introducing this example, we introduced the importance of cooperation and collaboration, harmony, being considerate and respecting others and trained the leaders towards establishing the foundational principles in order to govern their town.
We tried to establish and run the educational program for the leaders to leave with one principle. If the leaders work towards common goal through harmony and cooperation, trust and faith in each other, there is nothing they cannot overcome, and can live together in harmony.
We also progressed the education by instilling in them an ideal plan by what kind of changes are to be expected in the next ten years. We tried our best so that they made realistic but solid goals and faith in themselves to carry forth the plans they made.
As we were progressing, the leaders definitely showed signs of working together in tune with each other towards a common goal. It was a slow, but steady sign of advancement.
Although not everything can be changed drastically through one training program, we believe the first step taken towards the change is what is truly important. The development and progression is not only for themselves, but for African Leadership as well. The harmony and cooperation shown in the local community allows African Leadership to set goals and work towards more solid and vivid purpose and goals.
Though the start may be small and fragile, it is a start. A great and thankful start to trigger an ongoing growth that may spurt not only in the small towns, but into the city and eventually to the nation so that the glory of the Lord is shown brightly. The light cannot be hidden. Please put your hearts and hands together to pray for this progression in this land.
FOR THE KINGDOM!
Name of Jesus Christ! Amen.